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Frozen ADK streambed climbs

Wondering if anybody familiar with the High Peaks area might have recommendations for any particularly-good frozen streambed climbs that would be fun doing with a kid? My ten-year-old and I recently did a NEI2 gully climb together--and it was a ton o' fun--even in Microspikes!

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Thanks, Mike...I'd like to do that one myself--and may just solo it this Presidents Day weekend...but I'm actually looking for something with a more-modest commitment class for doing with my son. Someone has suggested a slide climb...

If you are looking for lower commitment and going with a ten year old, I would not suggest any of the slide climbs. They are great in terms of moderate difficulty, but all are way back in the backcountry. For lower commitment and with a kid, you want to be close to the road:

>Across from the Round Pond trailhead there is a nice moderate flow in the woods - easy to see right from the road.

>In Chapel Pond Canyon, the three gullies down right of Positive Re are very moderate with a "streambed gully" feel. They are rated 3, 3 and 2, but they feel pretty easy for their grades.

>Below and right of Lock Ness there is a practice area with a couple short climbs that start out steep for a few feet but quickly moderate. This is on Route 9N, right across the street from the blue "SHRP Test 12" sign. These are very close to the road and quite reliable.

>Buster in Cascade Pass is reliable, and after the initial steep looking bulge it has an easy streambed feel.

>Across the street, there are easy climbs at the "Top of the Lakes" area, very close to the road.

I'll second Tom on the commitment level of the slide climbs. They are typically too long to make it reasonable to rope up and pitch it out, but no way I would take my child without doing that. We did Bennie's Root Canal on Lower Wolfjaw last Xmas.The upper part was bare water ice, which even though I lead grade 5 I found to be a little nerve racking with one axe and those stupid trail crampons (why do they even bother putting front points on those things?) Especially nerve racking watching my wife, who is a hard core ADK backcountry hiker (she's soloed the 46 in winter) but only started technical ice in the last couple of years. (although she did inadvertently solo most of the N. Face of Gothics a number of years ago when she missed the right drainage for True North. Taught herself to chop steps on the fly). Any slip by either of us would have resulted in an out of control slide for many hundred feet. Neck deep powder at the exit. Summitted at 4PM and hiked out by headlamp. That kind of thing.

Hey Pappy, trying to link things up - are you by any chance "Mr. Moose?"

Click to expand...

uhh, no. Might like another nom de plume at this point--Pappy was funny 20+ years ago when the kids I was climbing with hung it on me, now that I see the approaching head lights of the big 6-0 not so much. Just a transplanted southern redneck with a cottage in Keene that after much travel through the mountains of this continent thinks the 'Daks are pretty darn cool.

Just wanted to say that we tried out the "Top of the Lakes" in Cascade Pass for our family outing. I think it's one of the best options for easy, short ice for kids to try crampons and two tools. Plenty of trees for easy belay anchors and you can pitch the climbing out as you like. (Our biggest difficulty was finding an easy way down to the lake from Rt. 73 at that particular time.)

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